


Close Harmony

by PaellaIsComplicated



Series: Barbershop Quartet [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: Canonical Character Death - Finn Hudson, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-09-30 16:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10167344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaellaIsComplicated/pseuds/PaellaIsComplicated
Summary: Sequel to Anderson BarbershopKurt and Blaine are together now, but Christmas is coming, politics is getting all riled up, and announcements from Adam and Jeff mean that January is going to be busy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks as always to Bowtiesandboatshoes for being a great beta! Also for giving me ideas when I took her on the Barbershop Tour of New Jersey. 
> 
> Anderson Barbershop was more or less complete when I started posting. This is in process. I'm aiming for one post a week, but I'll post as quickly as seems reasonable given my writing schedule.

They were eating lunch at Niff, sitting at a table for once, because neither of them felt like talking to Nick or Jeff today. They just wanted to be together. Also they wanted to look at each other, not watch Jeff cook. In fact, Blaine kept forgetting to eat as he gazed into Kurt’s eyes, pondering the fact that although they had been pale blue when Kurt woke up and grey-blue outside, they were kind of a bright blue now. How did they do that? 

“Eat, Blaine,” said Kurt, grinning. “You need to keep up your strength.”

“I do?” Blaine asked. “Why? What will I be doing later?”

“Oh, I have plans,” Kurt replied. And the look on Kurt’s face meant that Blaine had to think very hard about his salad for a few minutes after that. They ate without talking for a little while, just enjoying each other’s company.

“What’s next?” Kurt asked then.

“I thought whatever you had planned sounded good,” Blaine began.

“Not today, Blaine,” Kurt replied. “I mean, we’re boyfriends now, right?”

Blaine couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face at the sound of that word. “Yes, boyfriends,” he agreed, taking Kurt’s hands.

“But, that’s pretty new, and,” Kurt sounded nervous. “It’s Christmas in a few days.”

“I don’t have any expectations, Kurt,” Blaine said reassuringly. “But do you want to come with me to Nicky’s? I’m sure his folks would be happy to have you. They’ve been after me for years to bring a boyfriend by.”

“My dad did the ‘Single Ladies’ dance,” Kurt said.

Blaine was confused. 

“You know some things about my dad, right?” Kurt asked.

“Well, he was my Congressman when I lived in Ohio. I guess I know what everyone knows,” Blaine replied, deciding that Kurt was going somewhere, and he might as well go too. “He runs a garage, he supports gay rights and unions, he seems like a good guy.”

“He is,” Kurt said, smiling. “He’s a good, working-class, middle-aged man from Ohio. He never quite knew what to make of a son like me.”

“Kurt,” Blaine started, putting his hand on Kurt’s.

“No, it’s okay,” Kurt continued. “We’re good. My dad is the best dad in the world. But we’re really different in a lot of ways. And for a long time, he tried to change me, to keep me safe. He thought life would be easier for me if I was...more conventional. For a boy.”

Blaine rolled his eyes, unsure what to say. Asking Kurt to be conventional was asking Kurt to be less than he was.

“He wasn’t wrong, Blaine,” Kurt continued. “I’d have been thrown in the dumpster a lot less often if I’d dressed like everyone else. But one day, he came down to my bedroom in the basement and saw me lip synching to ‘Single Ladies,’ with two of my girlfriends from Glee as my backup dancers. I was wearing a unitard with a tie over it, a sparkly glove, and doing all the moves.”

Blaine suddenly realized he had no saliva in his mouth at all. None. “Do you...think you could show me that some time?” he asked. “You know, for science.”

Kurt smiled a flirty smile and continued with his story. “I told my dad that all the football players were wearing spandex to work out in, and, well, it’s a long story, but I wound up kicking the winning field goal at the next football game.”

Blaine mentally recalculated everything he thought he knew about Kurt. Again.

“Anyway, that’s not the point,” Kurt said. “The point is, I came out to my dad shortly after that, and he accepted me, and we worked hard to really get to know each other, and to accept each other. And so, when I graduated from high school, my dad practiced with my friends who had been my backup dancers, and he did the whole ‘Single Ladies’ dance for me. The whole thing. In his jeans and that cap he always wears. It was the best graduation present anyone ever got.”

“That’s amazing,” Blaine said, smiling as he pictured the scene. 

“Like I said, my dad is the best,” Kurt agreed. 

“You’re going home for Christmas,” Blaine said. It was just a statement. 

Kurt nodded. “I was hoping you’d be going to Ohio, too, but I guess not.” He sighed then, a big intake of breath. “I guess you can’t just stop by for a few hours to have dessert with us, then.” He smiled ruefully.

“It is a bit far,” Blaine smiled. “We’ll be okay, Kurt. It’s just a few days.”

After they left some money on the table and waved to Nick and Jeff, who were smiling and waving at them like Miracle Max and Valerie, Blaine said, “I have an extra pill case I keep at the shop. How about we go get it and then we can bring some of my meds over to your place. Then if we lose track of time, it won’t matter.”

Kurt smiled, took Blaine’s hand, and walked toward the shop. 

It was Sunday, so Blaine unlocked the door and turned on the light, making his way to the back room where he kept some personal things to find his pill case. Kurt wandered aimlessly around the shop while he waited, his eyes falling inevitably on the hot towel warmer where it sat prominently with a sign advertising hot shaves.

“How’s the towel warmer?” he called to Blaine.

“Working great!” Blaine replied, coming back into the shop with his pill case in hand. “I’m still working on advertising though. Any brilliant ideas for making hot shaves popular again?”

“I--” Kurt found himself uncharacteristically out of ideas. Then he realized why. “You know, Blaine. I’ve never had a hot shave.”

Blaine just looked at Kurt for a moment, then reached his hand out and turned on the towel warmer. 

“Sit down,” Blaine said quietly. Kurt sat in Blaine’s barber chair automatically, not sure what was going on, but intrigued by Blaine’s sudden change in tone.

“You’re going to enjoy this,” Blaine said. He was suddenly very busy then, arranging his oil heater, gathering folded towels from a shelf and putting them into the towel warmer, and making sure he had everything ready.

Finally, he approached Kurt in the barber chair.

“I’m going to lean you back now,” he said. He reached back and pushed something that made the chair recline, and Kurt reclined with it.

“Just relax,” Blaine said. Kurt was torn then. Should he close his eyes to fully immerse himself in the experience, or keep looking at Blaine, whose intensity and command of himself was incredibly sexy?

The choice was taken away from him when Blaine covered his face with a warm, moist towel. It felt incredible. Tension Kurt didn’t realize he carried was leaving his face. He heard Blaine’s voice close to his ear.

“Don’t worry about your skin,” Blaine said. Did Blaine already know him that well? “Everything I use is organic and from old recipes passed down to me when I was an apprentice. It all smells incredible, too. Your boyfriend will love it.”

Then Blaine was slipping his hands between Kurt’s shoulders and the chair, massaging out any kinks he found, slowly moving his hands up to warm and relax Kurt’s neck. Kurt groaned in pleasure.

Blaine removed the towel from Kurt’s face and applied something with a large cotton pad. 

“Cleanser,” Blaine explained, before covering Kurt’s face again with another warm towel, this time massaging Kurt’s temples and the back of his head.

When he removed the second towel, Kurt smelled something delicious. It smelled like flowers, but somehow they were manly flowers.

“Conditioning oil,” Blaine explained, as he applied the scented oil gently to Kurt’s skin. “It conditions your beard to soften it. The oil was warm and made his face relax even more. Kurt felt the last of the tension leave his body as Blaine wrapped his face in yet another hot towel. 

After a few minutes, he removed the towel from Kurt’s face and reached for his soap and brush. Kurt enjoyed the way the brush massaged his face as Blaine applied the lather. Then Blaine reached for his strop, and Kurt’s eyes bugged out as Blaine began to sharpen his razor, swiping it up and down the strop, his biceps bulging with each competent pass. Something about the fact that Blaine was honing a sharp blade that he was then going to press to Kurt’s throat intensified the moment.

Kurt focused on relaxing and letting Blaine be in control. It wasn’t natural for him, but Kurt could tell that he was going to enjoy it this time.

The position of the chair meant that Kurt didn’t have to tilt his head for Blaine to access his throat. Blaine placed the razor carefully and began to remove the hair and lather from Kurt’s face, one slow, deft stroke at a time. After each stroke, he cleaned the razor on a towel hung at his waist for that purpose. Blaine worked slowly around Kurt’s throat from right to left, standing behind the chair for the best access. Then he came around to the front of the chair to shave Kurt’s face. Kurt knew that Blaine was watching his blade, but it felt like the most intense eye contact as Blaine’s hazel eyes were fastened on the angles and planes of Kurt’s face.

Kurt focused on staying relaxed, practicing his yoga breathing as his face was wrapped yet again in the moist warmth of a hot towel. When Blaine returned to once again lather and shave Kurt’s face, Kurt knew what to expect, and he enjoyed the scrape of the blade along his skin, as well as the intensity of Blaine’s eyes on him.

“The next towel is cold, to close your pores,” Blaine warned, before applying the towel. Kurt was worried the cold would make his muscles tense, but instead it felt refreshing, like relaxing time was over and he was ready to face the day. A quick application of aftershave, and Blaine was straightening the chair.

For a while, Kurt sat lazily watching Blaine clean up the shop and put his tools away. When he was done, Kurt stood up, centered himself, and reached for Blaine, kissing him thoroughly. “About those plans,” he said, smiling directly into Blaine’s eyes. Without another word, he took Blaine’s hand and led him out of the shop.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas Day, fluff, Hamilton jokes, and news.
> 
> Warning for references to Finn's death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's my posting plan: I will post each chapter when I send the next chapter to Beta. I just sent Chapter 3 to Bowtiesandboatshoes, so you get Chapter 2. It will be somewhat irregular still, but probably a bit faster than a regular schedule would be. 
> 
> I am eternally indebted to Bowtiesandboatshoes for beta-ing even while she's super busy with Darren fan stuff during the Computer Games rollout.

Christmas in Ohio was bittersweet, as it had been every year since Kurt’s stepbrother Finn had died unexpectedly at the age of nineteen. Still, it was important to Kurt that he be there, partly because he hadn’t ever missed a Christmas with his dad. Once he had planned a Christmas on his own in New York, but his dad had surprised him at the last minute with a tree and their favorite ornaments from home. By the next Christmas, Finn was gone, and they had all realized how important it was to be with family while they could.

Kurt was sitting with his father in the living room on Christmas morning, just relaxing and drinking coffee together, when his phone rang and Adam’s face was on the screen. It wasn’t particularly unusual for Kurt’s ex-fiance to call. They had parted amicably in the end, and they had talked frequently in the few months after Adam left because they needed to arrange things about their shared apartment. But they hadn’t spoken since Adam had called to say that he had received the things Kurt had shipped to him when their lease ended, and Adam knew what Christmas meant in the Hummel/Hudson household, so Kurt answered curiously.

“Happy Christmas, Kurt!” Adam said cheerfully.

“ _Merry_ Christmas, Adam,” Kurt replied. It was an old joke between them. They both felt strongly about the correct way to address someone on Christmas, and they both felt ridiculous for caring. Over their years together, they had picked up phrases from one another, of course. Kurt sometimes found himself dropping English expressions like inviting someone “back to mine” rather than “over to my apartment,” and Adam had been known, while living in New York, to refer to his trousers as “pants,” although moving back to England had cured him of that very quickly. But on this one issue, there was no compromise to be found, and so they had always teased one another mercilessly about it.

“How are you holding up?” Adam asked. 

“We’re okay,” Kurt replied. “We miss him, but we’re celebrating.” Kurt wondered if there would ever be a Hummel/Hudson event again where Finn’s absence was not the focus. But at least they felt good about being together now. It wasn’t all pain like it used to be.

“That’s good to hear,” Adam said. “I liked Finn. Please send my love to your parents.”

“Of course,” said Kurt. “And mine to yours, and to Liam.” Liam was Adam’s boyfriend. 

“So, how are things?” Adam asked. “Are you seeing anyone?”

“Yes, actually,” Kurt replied. “It’s very new, though. I just met him a couple of weeks ago.”

“I’m happy for you, Kurt,” Adam said kindly. “I hope he’s good to you.”

“He is,” Kurt said simply.

“I have news,” Adam said then, changing his tone. “Liam proposed!”

Kurt sort of lost track of the conversation after that. He was over Adam, he was, especially since Blaine had shown him what a real connection to a lover could be like. But just six months ago, Kurt had been engaged to Adam, with absolutely no wedding plans in sight. And now Adam was telling him about his impending wedding with Liam. Kurt was happy for Adam, really, but he was also a bit shocked by the change. And by Adam’s voice. Kurt couldn’t remember ever hearing Adam so happy, in all the years they’d been together. 

“So, how’s Adam?” Burt asked, when Kurt ended the call and put down his phone.

“He’s engaged,” Kurt answered, without looking up.

“Hmm,” Burt said. “And how’re you feeling about that?”

“I’m happy for him.”

“Look at me, Kurt,” Burt said. Kurt looked up. “I know you’re a good person. I know you care about Adam. But I’m not asking because I want to chat. I’m asking because I’m your father, and you spent a long time with that man, and I expect you have some feelings hearing that he’s engaged to someone else not six months after breaking off his engagement with you.”

“They’re going to get the license on Monday,” Kurt said.

“That’s quick,” Burt huffed.

“No, it’s a thing some people do in England,” Kurt explained. “The license is good for a year, so some people get the license before they even start planning the wedding. It’s kind of like showing you really mean to get married.”

Burt just waited.

“We were engaged for more than a year, though,” Kurt continued. “And never even set a date.”

“I always wondered about that,” Burt commented.

“He’s so happy,” Kurt said. “I never made him this happy, not even in the beginning.”

Burt changed the subject then. “The guy you mentioned--the one you’ve been seeing, is that the same one you came to talk to me about?”

“What?” Kurt asked. “Oh, Blaine? Yes. Same one.”

“It sounds like you’ve worked out an answer to some of your questions, then,” Burt said.

“I think so,” Kurt said thoughtfully. “And you know, I feel more connected to him than I ever did to Adam. Dad, he took me out for fondue, and bought me a whole cheesecake for dessert, and asked me to be his boyfriend.”

“I guess he was interested, then.” Burt surveyed the look on his son’s face, and felt more settled than he had the entire time Kurt had been dating Adam. “Next time you visit, he’s coming with you?”

Kurt looked thoughtful, “I don’t know. I mean, it’s still so new with Blaine. And anyway, he runs a small business. You know how it is, Dad. It’s hard for him to get away.”

“Well, then,” Burt replied. “I guess I’m going to have to schedule a meeting with that new Congressman from Bergen County some time soon.” 

**************  
Meanwhile, Blaine was having fun with Nick’s family in New York. He had driven out to Westchester with Nick and Jeff that morning to meet all of Nick’s family as well as Jeff’s parents and sister, who always enjoyed Christmas dinner with Nick’s family. As they were unpacking the food Nick and Jeff had brought from the restaurant, Jeff’s mom came up to give Blaine a hug and kiss.

“Merry Christmas, Blaine,” she said. “It’s so good to see you. I hear the barbershop is doing well?”

“Merry Christmas, Sharon,” Blaine replied. “So far, so good. Thanks for asking.”

“I’m so glad you’re close to Nicky and Jeff,” Sharon said.

“I don’t know where I’d be without them,” Blaine agreed. He’d moved in with Nick and Jeff when he was first discharged from the hospital and wasn’t allowed to live alone. Blaine would be forever grateful to his friends for the fact that he didn’t have to go home to Ohio at that point in his life, and everyone here knew it.

“So you’re doing well.” Sharon seemed pleased. 

“He’s got a boyfriend!” Jeff exclaimed, as he walked by on the way to the fridge. Somehow, Nick’s mom managed to hear that, too, and had a sudden need to give Blaine a hug.

“So, tell us everything,” said Nick’s mom, Melissa. “What’s his name? Is he cute? What does he do for a living? Why didn’t you bring him? You know he would have been welcome, right?”

“Oh, my goodness,” Blaine sighed. “Um...Kurt, I think so, actor, we’ve only been dating two weeks, and of course.” Then he let his eyes twinkle just a little so they’d know he wasn’t really annoyed by their interest.

“He’s really hot,” Jeff added as he passed by again.

“Is he?” asked Sharon. “You must have pictures on your phone.” Now her eyes were twinkling too.

Nick had finished unpacking the food, so he pulled out his phone then, and showed them a picture of Blaine and Kurt singing together at the Niff Holiday Party. The moms cooed appropriately at Kurt’s looks and fashion sense, as well as the cuteness of the picture itself, the two of them looking at each other, heads close together, as they harmonized on part of “White Christmas.” Blaine smiled proudly and felt warm at the memory. 

“Actually, Jeff had a mad crush on Kurt when he first came to town,” Nick explained. “Luckily, Blaine is ever the gentleman and he swooped in and saved our relationship.” 

“Yes,” Blaine said seriously. “I did it all for you, Nicky.”

“Thank you, Blaine,” Jeff said dramatically. “I am indebted to you for your great sacrifice.”

“Well, don’t say I never did anything for you,” Blaine replied. He put his hand over his heart, “I will keep dating that hot, smart, talented, caring, well-dressed man as long as it takes to save your relationship with Nick. Because I love you guys.”

“If you really loved me, you would share him,” Jeff quipped, batting his eyelashes at Blaine hopefully.

Nick swatted Jeff on the ass then, and Blaine laughed and wandered off to a quiet part of the house to text Kurt.

Blaine: Merry Christmas, Kurt. I miss you.

Kurt: Merry Christmas, Blaine. Miss you, too. XO

Blaine: Everyone wishes you were here.

Kurt: Who’s everyone?

Blaine: Me, Nick, Jeff, Nick’s mom, Jeff’s mom…

Kurt: Really? That’s sweet.

Blaine: Mostly me, though. :)

Kurt: My dad wants to meet you.

Blaine: Should I be nervous?

Kurt: Not while he’s in Ohio. ;)

Blaine: Okay, I’ll wait and be nervous later, then.

Blaine: I’ll see you for NYE, right?

Kurt: You can see me before that if you want. I’ll be home Wednesday.

Blaine: What time?

Kurt: Eager, much?

Blaine: Very. Telling Sharon and Melissa how great you are made me miss you even more. Plus, Jeff has been asking for inappropriate favors and I need you to wash my brain.

Kurt: Not gonna ask.

Blaine: Probably for the best. Call me later?

Kurt: Of course. We can make plans for when I get home.

Blaine: Sounds like fun ;)

Kurt: I meant plans to meet up, but....we’ll see.

Blaine: :D

*************

After dinner, Jeff stood up at the table to address the group. He looked sort of awkward for a moment, but he was Jeff, so he switched quickly into Goofball Mode, ready to charm the room. “I know that some of you have long lamented the fact that I have yet to make an honest man out of young Nicholas.”

“You couldn’t make an honest man out of George Washington,” joked Nick’s father.

“Now, when you say ‘George Washington,’ do you mean the one who’s been dead for two hundred years, or Christopher Jackson from _Hamilton_? Because I could totally--”

Nick interrupted, “Jeff? You had a point to make?”

“Right!” Jeff said. “I did. The point is, everything is great with me and Nick, and we were going to just keep on as we are, but with the political climate being what it is, we think we should probably get married after all.” Then he sat down.

Everybody looked at each other. It wasn’t the most romantic speech ever, but they thought they had heard something in there that might have been noteworthy. Blaine decided he’d better step in and translate.

“You’re getting married?!” He exclaimed. “Congratulations, guys! That’s great news!”

Then the room kind of erupted into hugs and handshakes and warnings to Jeff that he’d better treat Nick right and congratulations and more hugs and some tears of happiness and even more hugs. Finally, they all settled back down in their seats ready for dessert and some champagne that Nick’s dad had pulled from somewhere, and Blaine had a chance to talk to his friends.

“Well, this is great news,” Blaine said. “Should I start looking for a new place?”

“What?” Exclaimed Nick. “Of course not! We love living with you, and we aren’t doing this to change anything. We just got really nervous that our rights could be taken away, you know?”

“Of course I do,” agreed Blaine. “I don’t blame you one bit. What can I do to help? When’s the big day, anyway?”

“Well,” said Jeff. “I heard someone saying ‘the personal is political,’ and we got to thinking maybe we should get married on January 20th. It would give us something to do instead of watching TV.”

“Interesting idea,” said Blaine. “Well, I’d certainly rather party with you guys than watch the inauguration.” 

“Boys,” said Jeff’s Aunt Cathy. “I hear they’re throwing a really big party in DC on the twenty-first. That might be more fun.”

Nick and Jeff looked at each other. They looked at Aunt Cathy. They looked at each other. They looked at Blaine. They looked at each other.

“Can Kurt knit?” Jeff asked Blaine.

“Jeff, I can knit,” Blaine said. “I learned so I could make hats for my puppets, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” said Jeff, remembering Blaine’s puppet phase. “You were weirdly talented at puppet-making. I’m glad you got over that. It was creepy.”

“Good,” Nick said. “Because we’re going to need enough pussy hats for all of our friends.”

Blaine realized his January just got a whole lot busier.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt returns from Lima and starts to feel like everyone is getting married but him.
> 
> Extra special thanks to Bowtiesandboatshoes for squeezing me in.

Blaine spent the next few days researching marriage regulations in Washington DC and reaching out to as many Warblers as he could find on Facebook and Instagram. Trent was the first to respond. Since he was still in college, he basically had nothing important to do in January, so he volunteered to come down for New Year’s Eve and stay until the wedding to help. A few other Warblers were free around New Year’s, so they decided a party was in order. They could spend some of the time planning the wedding, and then celebrate the New Year.

Kurt helped his dad reorganize the files at the shop and helped Carole do some light redecorating at home. He had coffee with Mercedes, who had also come home for Christmas. Kurt was trying to avoid Facebook, where Adam had updated his relationship status and Kurt wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He had already congratulated Adam, but Facebook didn’t know that. Should he congratulate Adam again, so everyone could see? It seemed frivolous to do anything just for appearances. Kurt’s own relationship status was private--it always had been--so nobody on Facebook really knew about Blaine. If he changed his status now, would it look like he was compensating? Or worse, lying? But as things stood, it looked a lot like Adam was moving on with his life but Kurt wasn’t. It was all too ridiculous to be wasting time over. And yet, Kurt couldn’t help but wonder what people were thinking.

On Wednesday afternoon, he deplaned at Newark Airport, thinking it was nice that he would be able to get home from the airport without having to struggle through public transportation or New York City traffic. He might get stuck in rush hour, but it would be nothing like trying to take a cab from Kennedy or LaGuardia to his old apartment in Queens. There were some upsides to living in the suburbs. Also, the pizza in New Jersey was every bit as good as Blaine said it was.

He made his way through the terminal, following signs to baggage pickup. (Kurt had yet to master packing light enough to avoid checking luggage, and doubted he would ever have any interest in practicing that skill. As it was, Kurt had never yet travelled without wishing he had an item of clothing he had left behind.) After a short wait, he collected his suitcase and was making his way out of baggage claim when he saw Blaine standing patiently, watching him with a smile playing at his lips.

“What are you doing here?” Kurt asked, a broad smile showing that he was surprised, but not complaining.

“Picking you up at the airport,” Blaine replied. “Isn’t that what boyfriends do?”

Kurt thought for a moment. He and Adam had never picked each other up at airports, but neither of them had owned a car. He thought about other couples he’d known. Finn, Mike, Sam, and Artie would all be likely to pick up a girlfriend at the airport if she needed it. But Kurt had never had someone to make these small, loving gestures. He found he quite liked it. So he smiled and reached out a hand to grasp Blaine’s as they walked out to short-term parking. And he decided he didn’t care what his Facebook friends thought of him. He had a boyfriend who did nice things for him. A boyfriend who was happy to hold his hand and who drove back and forth to the airport with no expectation other than spending the ride together and maybe that Kurt would return the favor some time. Which Kurt happily would.

Blaine didn’t have expectations, but he did have ideas. When they got off the highway in Hackensack, they decided they were hungry, so they stopped at the diner on Essex Street for a quick dinner. (Blaine had the challah french toast. Kurt had an egg white omelette with lettuce and tomato instead of hash browns.) When they got back to Kurt’s place, Blaine followed him inside, taking advantage of the privacy in the elevator to whisper some of his ideas into Kurt’s ear. He might have also taken advantage of the proximity to drop a few kisses between his words. Kurt heartily approved of Blaine’s suggestions, and they hurried down the hall and into Kurt’s apartment together.

*********************  
Afterwards, Kurt stretched and sat up, wanting to wash up and unpack before it was time to sleep for the night. Blaine watched him move, and his eyes landed on Kurt’s right shoulder blade, reminding him of a question he’d been meaning to ask for a while.

“Hey, Kurt?” Blaine asked. “Tell me about your tattoo.”

Kurt sighed, rolled his eyes fondly as he turned to face Blaine, and then told him. 

“It was a while after Finn died,” he began. “Rachel and I were feeling stuck in our grief, and somehow got the idea that getting drunk on Limoncello and getting tattoos would push us to move on.”

“I thought my tattoo should say ‘It gets better,’ because I’m a big Dan Savage fan, as you know.”

Blaine nodded. They had talked about Dan Savage before, and were both inspired by his activism, his pride, and the It Gets Better Project. 

“But also because I felt like my life did get better once I embraced who I was. After I came out, I made real friends, I found my voice--literally and figuratively--and once I moved to New York, I began to make a life for myself. 

But somehow, and I’ll never understand how, I ended up writing ‘It’s get better’ on the paper. Seriously, there isn’t an apostrophe in ‘It gets better,’ so I don’t know how I put one there, but I did, and the tattoo artist copied it onto my back just like that.

When Rachel looked at my tattoo the next day, once we’d sobered up, I was horrified. Here I’d done this thing that was so out of character, and it hadn’t even been done correctly! The worst part was, Rachel completely chickened out and didn’t get a tattoo at all. I went storming down to the tattoo shop ready to tear the guy a new one until he showed me the paper I gave him.

But you know what? He turned out to be the sweetest guy. He showed me the mistakes in his tattoos, and offered to fix mine for free. He was the one who came up with ‘It’s got Bette Midler.’ And it’s ridiculous, and random, and somehow it’s me and it’s perfect and I love it.”

Blaine leaned forward then, wrapping an arm around Kurt and kissing the tattoo. “I love it, too. It’s perfect, just like you. Quirky, and different, and not what you’d expect, and funny, and really, really sexy.”

“Really?” asked Kurt.

“Really,” Blaine assured him. “My celebrity crush is Adam Lambert.”

Kurt smiled at that, then confessed, “I never got over Taylor Lautner.”  
“Mmm,” Blaine agreed. “Abs.”

After they had both showered and put on pajamas, they settled in on the couch with some tea to catch up on the few days they’d been apart. 

“So,” Kurt started. “Are Nick and Jeff getting excited?”

“I’m not sure if ‘excited’ is the word,” Blaine said thoughtfully. “Definitely fired up. It’s going to be one heck of a protest wedding.”

“I’d say that isn’t romantic, but it’s so them,” Kurt said. 

“How do you mean?” Blaine asked, tilting his head inquisitively.

“Well,” Kurt said. “It’s like, when you watch them cooking together at the restaurant. There’s nothing romantic about it. They’re working. There are no lingering looks or squeezed hands or whispered ‘I love yous,’ but they’re so in sync that you just feel they’re in love. And that’s pretty romantic.”

“Yeah,” Blaine said, thinking about it.

“So something about making their wedding into a political action,” Kurt continued, “is both completely unromantic and so unbelievably Niff that it’s totally romantic.”

“How do you do that?” Blaine asked, turning around to snuggle in next to Kurt.

“Do what?” Kurt asked, adjusting so he could put his arms around Blaine and sit comfortably without spilling his tea.

“You’ve only know them--known us--for a few weeks,” Blaine said. “And yet, you understand them so well.”

Kurt shrugged. “Jeff isn’t exactly subtle.”

“Well no,” Blaine laughed. “I guess I just keep being surprised by how comfortably you fit into my life. I like it.”

“I like it too,” Kurt said, giving Blaine a kiss on the cheek. “Now, tell me what they’ve had you doing the past few days. I’m sure I can help.”

“Well, besides reaching out to mutual friends, they’ve mostly had me looking up the legal stuff.” Blaine explained. “Since they want to get married in DC, we have to make sure we file the paperwork so that our friend Wes can officiate.”  
“Right,” Kurt said. “Why do they want to get married in DC again?”

“Well, they both feel like they have to get married, to protect each other and their business,” Blaine explained. “If retrograde laws start getting passed, they’re afraid that if one of them gets sick or hurt, the other might be banned from the hospital room, but also that if one of them dies, the survivor would have to pay inheritance tax on the restaurant. As spouses, they would automatically keep possession of the whole business.”

“Okay,” Kurt agreed. 

“So Jeff figures he wants to be as offensive as possible to the new administration, and as public as possible with the wedding,” Blaine went on. “If you have to do it, might as well make a point with it. So, they’re getting married at the Women’s March in DC.”

“Okay, but let’s get to the fun part,” Kurt said. “I once put together a wedding in two weeks. What do they need in terms of clothes, decor, food?” Kurt was getting excited. He loved planning things. Especially when they involved clothes.

“I haven’t talked to them about clothes yet,” Blaine said. “Except they want me to knit pussyhats for everyone.”

“I’ll help with that,” Kurt said. “And tomorrow, we go down to Niff and start talking fashion.”

“Okay,” Blaine smiled. “Oh, one other thing. Our friend Trent is coming to town for most of the month. I was wondering if he could use your second bedroom.”

“When is he coming?” Kurt asked warily.

“I’m not sure exactly, but he’ll be here by Saturday for the New Year’s Eve party.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course,” Blaine agreed. They finished their tea and went to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding planning begins and Kurt has an idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not 100% sure about posting chapter by chapter. I might have done better to write the whole thing first. But we'll see.
> 
> The plus side of doing it this way is that you can comment as I go. So bring on the comments! 
> 
> Thanks as always to Bowtiesandboatshoes. You were totally right.

Chinese takeout containers were strewn across the table in the living room of Blaine, Nick, and Jeff’s apartment. Blaine had his laptop open. Kurt was making a to-do list. Jeff was sitting on Nick’s lap, playing absently with his fiance’s hair while Kurt reviewed everything that was to be done.

“Okay,” Kurt said. “So your friends Trent, Wes, and Thad can come early. They’ll all be here by New Year’s Eve. Everyone else will meet us in DC, some time between the fifteenth and the twentieth. The wedding will be on the twenty-first, time to be established once we know the exact schedule of the Women’s March.”

Jeff nodded. “Yep. Trent has the month off from school, Wes works remotely anyway, so he’s happy to work from here this month, and Thad is between jobs and doesn’t mind hanging out with us as long as we don’t charge him rent.” So far, so good.

“Wes will officiate, so we need--what do we need, Blaine?”

Blaine clicked over from Facebook to a website about marriage law in Washington, DC. “We just need to have him designated as an Authorized Officiant. We can do that when we get to DC and apply for the license.”

“Good,” Kurt said. “Now, clothes. What are you planning to wear, and can I please make it for you?”

Nick whipped his head around so he could see Kurt properly over Jeff’s body. “You want to make our wedding suits?”

“Of course,” Kurt said, like this was an every day offer. “You weren’t planning to wear off the rack to your own wedding, were you?”

“Kurt,” Nick explained. “I wasn’t planning to get married at all. This isn’t a day I’ve been dreaming about my whole life. It’s just something we need to do right now.”

Kurt turned pale and looked very confused.

“Maybe explain that one again,” Blaine said. “Why are you getting married?”

“Because,” Jeff said, getting up and grabbing the takeout bag from the kitchen so he could start cleaning up cartons. “The personal is political. On the one hand, sure, we want to make sure that no matter what the new administration does, we’ll be able to visit each other in the hospital and inherit the restaurant and whatever. But on the other hand, the more of us get married, the more conservatives will start seeing us as normal people.”

“But if you don’t want to get married,” Blaine argued. “Shouldn’t you just not get married?”

“We decided we kind of have to,” Nick said. “We can. And it’s not like we don’t want the lifestyle. We’re together, we have a home and a business, and right now, all of that is threatened by politics. But the more gay couples people see who are married, the more normal it will seem. And eventually, when our kids start rebelling against us and refusing to get married, they’ll be just like everyone else’s kids. But right now? We kind of have to get married to make sure the next generation has choices.”

Blaine ran a hand over the back of his neck, thinking. “You’re making sense,” he said. “I mean, I knew marriage equality was important. I’ve been following the politics and fighting hard for the right, and when it became legal everywhere, I knew it would change everything. But now I guess it’s more important than ever. Our generation needs to get married, or the right to marry might be lost for another who knows how long?”

“That’s right,” Jeff said. “Now, Kurt, we’re going to be walking around all day in crowds of people. As much as I appreciate your offer, I don’t think handmade suits is very practical.”

Kurt was about to interrupt to point out that nothing could be a better opportunity for fashion than a wedding attended by hundreds of thousands of people, but Jeff held up a hand.

“I was, however,” Jeff continued. “Looking for a rainbow tie, and I can’t find anything of any quality.” 

Kurt winced.

“Exactly,” Jeff continued. “I don’t want to wear polyester to my wedding. Do you think you could make us some ties? Something that says ‘this wedding is advocating for gay rights,’ but that I also won’t be ashamed to look at when I open my wedding album in twenty years?”

Kurt looked dubious. He opened his mouth to argue.

“I mean,” Jeff said quickly. “If you think you can’t do it, I understand.”

Blaine looked carefully between his boyfriend and his friends. Was Jeff being really clever, or was Kurt about to lose his temper? Kurt looked back at Blaine, and Blaine feared the worst for a few heartbeats. He bit his lip.

“Of course I can do it,” Kurt said calmly. A little too calmly. “You will have the best rainbow ties you’ve ever seen.”

“Thank you, Kurt,” Nick said, looking Kurt in the eye. Blaine watched, and saw Kurt let the tension go as Nick reassured him without words that his work would be appreciated. Nick wisely moved on as soon as Kurt relaxed, changing the subject. “Now, let’s make a plan for New Year’s Eve. There will be Warblers!”

“Warblers!” shouted Jeff and Blaine.

Kurt rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. 

Later that night, Kurt lay in Blaine’s bed, looking at the ceiling. Blaine was sleeping peacefully beside him, but Kurt couldn’t relax. He felt like a failure. Blaine had said how important it was for young gay people to get married, but Kurt had been engaged and failed to get married. Here were Nick and Jeff planning a wedding just four weeks after they decided to do it. And Adam had moved on and was planning his wedding to someone else. 

Kurt had always dreamed about his wedding. He had sketched more wedding suits for himself and his groom than he liked to think about. He’d loved planning his dad’s wedding to Carole, and helping with Finn and Rachel’s disastrous non-weddings, and Mr. Schuester’s proposal and wedding-that-wasn’t. And wow, a lot of people he knew had tried to get married and failed. Including himself. 

Kurt sighed. He’d always believed in love at first sight. He’d believed he would find the love of his life and be the first of his friends to get married. It would all be like a movie, and they’d live happily ever after. Of course, when Rachel and Finn got engaged, he knew that was way too young, but now he kind of wished they had gotten married. At least they would have had that last year together. If they had known Finn would die at nineteen, would they have done things differently? 

Kurt turned and looked at Blaine’s sleeping face. He was so beautiful. Like, unfairly handsome. And fit. And wow, could he kiss. Kurt felt incredibly lucky to be with someone who was so strong and who had been able to change his whole life to make healthy choices, even in the face of so much social pressure from his parents and people at school. Blaine was a loyal friend who inspired such devotion from friends like Nick and Jeff. 

Kurt’s thoughts kept swirling around: to Adam planning his wedding, to Rachel and Finn cancelling theirs, to Blaine saying that gay marriage was a statement. He didn’t know what to make of it all, but he felt like he was getting something wrong, and he didn’t know how to fix it.   
After a while, he put his worries aside and snuggled up to Blaine, laying his head on Blaine’s chest. Even in sleep, Blaine’s arm came up to hold Kurt tightly, and they both settled into each other comfortably. 

When Kurt woke up, they had switched positions, and Blaine was lying on Kurt, arms tight around him. It was like sleeping with a koala and Kurt loved it. 

Blaine opened his eyes and smiled up at Kurt, and Kurt had a thought.

“Blaine?” he asked. “Don’t you think Trent would be more comfortable here than at my house?”

“What, on the couch? But you have an extra room.”

“I thought Wes might like my extra room. And Thad can share with Trent in here, or sleep on the couch.”

“Then where will I sleep?” Blaine was still waking up and definitely not following Kurt’s train of thought.

“Well, it’s just a few weeks, and we’ve been spending every night together anyway,” Kurt said casually. “I thought you might as well stay with me until the wedding. You know, to make room for everyone.”

Blaine smiled. “Just to be economical with the beds, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Kurt agreed, grinning back.

“I think that sounds very efficient,” Blaine said, winking. “I’d love to stay with you. Come on, let’s get some coffee and we can tell the guys the plan.”

 _Well,_ thought Kurt. _That is a good solution to the problem of too many Warblers._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trent arrives, and Blaine moves into Aunt Bertie's apartment with Kurt until the wedding. Feelings happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always to Bowtiesandboatshoes.

Trent arrived the next day. Kurt was surprised to find he was even friendlier than Blaine, which was not something Kurt had previously thought to imagine. Jeff was entertained by Trent’s closely-trimmed beard, which clearly had not been in evidence back in Trent’s Warbler days. Kurt had seen pictures, and Trent had been all smiles and boyish baby fat. Clearly that had burned off and while Trent would probably never be cut like Blaine or willowy like Kurt, his beard emphasized an angular jaw and there was nothing round about him anymore.

Gay, yes. Everything about Trent was gay. 

“Are you absolutely sure Dalton isn’t a gay school?” Kurt asked merrily. The Dalton boys were teasing each other mercilessly and reminiscing about Jeff’s long years of pining for Nick back when everybody (including Nick) still thought Nick was straight. Trent hadn’t been out in those days, but like Kurt, he just had a way about him that made people suspect he might be gay. Trent had been a late bloomer, though, and just hadn’t wanted to confront his sexuality until later. 

“It’s not,” Blaine said definitely. “But all-boys’ school plus show choir equals...well, let’s just say you’re not seeing a representative sample of the population.”

“I still wish I had known,” Kurt said. “I can’t believe you were all in Westerville the whole time I was the only out kid in Lima. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for you guys to have each other.”

“It was great,” Trent said. “Especially for someone like me. I mean, I got teased a little because I wasn’t ready to date, but it was always a loving kind of teasing. Like other Warblers would point out girls or guys they thought I might like. But it was never a big deal when I said I still wasn’t ready.”

“Of course not,” Nick scoffed. “Now, when he was ready, in college, and we found out he had a boyfriend, then he was in for it.”

“Don’t scare him, Nick!” Trent warned. “He’s still gotta meet the whole crew in a few weeks. We don’t want him to know what we do to boyfriends!”

“Nah,” Jeff scoffed. “You didn’t come to the Christmas party this year, Trent. Kurt’s a NYADA-trained countertenor. He killed his duets with Blaine.”

“Countertenor?” Trent was impressed. “Blaine, why didn’t you say so? When’s the karaoke?”

“New Year’s Eve,” Nick replied. “Of course.”

Trent’s eyes twinkled at the thought, and Kurt still wasn’t sure whether Trent was looking forward to hearing him sing, or to roasting him. Either way, he liked Blaine’s friends and was looking forward to the party.

When it was time for bed, though, Kurt got nervous. Blaine had packed a bag and shown Trent where everything was. They had put clean sheets on Blaine’s bed that morning, and Blaine was ready to move into Kurt’s place for the next few weeks until they all went to DC a few days before the wedding. 

“Big step,” Blaine said, as they walked over to Kurt’s place. He was smiling at Kurt when he said it.

“Is it?” Kurt hedged. “I mean, it’s just for a few weeks. It didn’t make sense for someone to be on the couch when you were going to end up in my bed anyway.”

“Oh, I was, was I?” Blaine asked flirtatiously.

Now Kurt was second-guessing himself again. “I mean,” he said, nervously. “Weren’t you? I...I mean, Trent can still stay at my place if you’d rather--”

Blaine stopped walking, putting his hand on Kurt’s and pulling his boyfriend to face him. “Kurt, I was joking. I was definitely hoping to be sharing a bed with you at least most of the nights over the next few weeks, and I’m thrilled that now I’m sure I will.” He leaned in and gave Kurt a short, calming kiss.  
“Yeah, okay,” Kurt said, after a minute. “This is good, right? This is a good thing.”

Blaine cocked his head, looking at Kurt as if to read him. He squeezed Kurt’s hand and started to walk again, keeping their hands joined. 

Kurt thought as he walked along next to Blaine, about how close he felt with this man he’d only known for a month. How just holding Blaine’s hand helped him feel calmer and more sure of this step they were taking, which was, of course, a step. At the very least, they were committing to staying together for another month. He was still nervous, because they’d only been together a month and they were essentially committing to staying together as long as they’d been together already. But Blaine seemed pretty casual about it, like it was obvious they’d be together forever. And sometimes, Kurt felt like it was obvious. But to feel that way after such a short acquaintance was frightening, until he looked into Blaine’s eyes and saw that it wasn’t scary at all. Kurt couldn’t make it make sense, but he knew how he felt.

And then there was Blaine’s Depression. Kurt wasn’t sure he could handle it. He wanted to. He wanted to be there for Blaine and help him. But he felt like it was a big responsibility and he wasn’t sure how he’d feel if and when Blaine’s medication stopped working. Would Blaine get angry? Would he disappear into sadness and stay in bed all day? And how would Kurt react?

“Oh!” Kurt stopped walking. “Did you pack your meds? You need to take your medicine in the morning.”

“Of course I did, Kurt,” Blaine chuckled. “I only didn’t have them that one time because I didn’t know I was staying over. When I pack, I always pack my meds.”

“Okay,” Kurt said, and made himself start walking again. 

“And even if I didn’t,” Blaine added. “I have the spare ones at your place, and then I could pick up more in the morning when I go to work, or when we go over to see Nick and Jeff for more wedding planning. We’re not going far, Kurt.”

“Right,” Kurt agreed. “Just a few blocks.” Kurt concentrated on breathing for a while, thanking his past self for the yoga classes. Soon they made it to his building, and he let them inside his apartment.

“I have a key for you,” Kurt said, blushing as he handed it over. Why did it feel so forward? Obviously Blaine would want to come and go as he pleased. He would give a key to Trent, if he was staying three weeks. He was planning to give a key to Wes. 

Blaine took the key and added it to his key ring. “Where do you want me to put this?” he asked, holding up his bag. Of course, he’d had a bag at Kurt’s place before, but it was always just a change of underwear and a toothbrush, for staying the night. He never worried about where to put it because it didn’t matter. But now he was staying. 

“There’s room in my...in the bedroom,” Kurt said. “I cleaned out all of Bertie’s stuff and I have a lot of clothes but most of them are hanging so there’s room in the drawers. I’ll show you.”

As Kurt hustled off to his bedroom, Blaine wondered what was going on. It had been Kurt’s idea for him to stay. It seemed like a big step for so soon in their relationship, but it wasn’t permanent and it did seem sensible for Trent to be near Nick and Jeff, whom he knew, rather than away with Kurt, whom he’d just met. And Blaine did like the idea of spending every night for the next few weeks in the same bed as Kurt, waking up next to Kurt, cooking at Kurt’s place. He started to smile at the thought. Blaine didn’t know why his feelings about Kurt were so strong, but he knew that they were. Being near Kurt made him happy. It made him want to get up every morning, want to keep trying. Not many things did. So Blaine had agreed right away. 

But now Kurt seemed nervous. Maybe Kurt thought they were really moving in together? Blaine didn’t think it was the worst idea. After all, it didn’t really make sense for them to spend the night at his place, when his idiot roommates would be home and interfering, when they could be at Kurt’s place and blissfully alone. But Kurt still had things to work out, like whether he even wanted to live in New Jersey long-term, and Blaine just kind of wanted to enjoy spending time with Kurt right now, without worrying about the future. After all, they had just started dating.

And Blaine was very aware that he could screw this up. His Depression could cause a problem. His being an idiot about romance could cause a problem. And everyone knew that rushing into living together was never a good idea. So they wouldn’t. It would be okay. Blaine would be careful, and he would enjoy all the extra time he’d get with Kurt, and after the wedding he’d go back to his place, and everything would be okay.

Kurt used the bathroom first and Blaine took the opportunity to unpack his bag into the drawers Kurt had given him. For his visit. Because after the wedding, Kurt was going to sell this dresser, along with the rest of Bertie’s furniture that he didn’t want. He was only keeping it so Blaine could use it while he was there. Until the wedding. Because they were not living together.

When Blaine went into the bathroom, Kurt stowed Blaine’s suitcase on the top shelf of the closet. He couldn’t stand the thought of leaving it out for three weeks. Blaine had laid out some things on top of the dresser: his bottle of pills, his watch, his phone charger, his wallet. Kurt ran his hands over them, smiling at the domesticity of it. He marveled that he had never felt this way with Adam. It felt somehow right to have Blaine’s things here. To have Blaine here. It felt like something had clicked into place that Kurt had been waiting for, and he had never, ever felt that way with Adam.

Kurt knew that he wasn’t in love with Blaine yet, but he felt that when he looked back at this time, he’d remember it as always having loved Blaine. It felt like something was pulling them along. Something inevitable, like they got onto a ride that was already in progress. They were not in control of it, and they couldn’t stop it, it just was. Like somehow they had always loved each other, they just never knew it. So what could they do except go along for the ride? 

Blaine came out of the bathroom in his pajamas and walked straight up to Kurt. He put his hands on Kurt’s shoulders and then pulled him in close, kissing him hard until Kurt melted into it, snaking his arms around Blaine’s shoulders and kissing back until they were both breathless. They stopped for a moment and look at each other. Blaine noticed the heat in Kurt’s eyes and smiled.

“That’s better,” he said. 

“I knew you just wanted me for my body,” Kurt replied. “It’s a curse, really.”

“Let’s go to bed,” Blaine said quietly. 

The sex was intense. It was always intense, but Kurt was feeling so many feelings tonight and Blaine felt a need to claim his place in the bed. Together, they made the sex into something else. Some kind of statement that neither of them could ever put into words. When they were done, they both fell asleep feeling like they were exactly where they were supposed to be.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's New Year's Eve and there's a karaoke party at Niff! There may also be some fluff, and a late Christmas present for Kurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's National Barbershop Quartet Day! I got you a new chapter.
> 
> Bowtiesandboatshoes is having some life issues right now, so it might be a while for the next chapter unless someone wants to be my temporary beta. Hang in there, friend! Hugs and more hugs and go watch some Glee until you feel better.

By the time New Year’s Eve came, Kurt had gotten to know Wes and Thad a little bit. Wes was in the spare room at Aunt Bertie’s apartment, Thad was crashing on Nick and Jeff’s couch because Trent was still using Blaine’s room.

With Wes, Trent, and Thad in town, every Warbler within driving distance had put other plans aside and made sure to come to the restaurant for New Year’s Eve. There would be karaoke, and since it was a private party, there was no restriction on the alcohol that could be served.

Kurt thought back to the last Warbler party he’d been to at the restaurant, just a few weeks ago, and how unsure he’d been of where he and Blaine stood at the beginning of the evening. Now, he knew Blaine would be coming home with him and they’d be waking up together on the first morning of 2017. Rachel was working and then going to a big cast party with Jesse. Kurt was actually glad he wouldn’t be fighting Midtown crowds. If he got really drunk, or Blaine did, they’d have a refreshing walk home in the cold and then they could fall into bed together. Tonight, Kurt would have no worries about driving, no drunk crazies to deal with on the subway. There were a few good things about the suburbs.

Just like last time, Blaine was running around with Nick and Jeff, helping to set up, welcoming old friends, keeping the punch bowl filled and eventually, filling in as as emcee, singing back-up on request, or dancing on the countertop (just because he felt like it), so Kurt was not able to spend much time with him. Unlike last time, though, Blaine made a point of introducing Kurt to everyone before he drifted off. And Blaine checked in with Kurt whenever he could, making sure he had a drink, dropping a kiss on his cheek or a wink as he walked by, and noticing if Kurt wound up in a corner with nobody to talk to. 

Blaine was so excited that Kurt was here, with his friends, as his boyfriend. The Warblers in general had been the least judgmental people he knew when he dropped out of college. He was pretty sure he had Nick and Jeff to thank for that, because they had been the ones to spread the news when he was in the hospital, and however they had done it had conveyed the right message to everyone. Blaine had a problem, he was working on it, and he needed his friends’ support. The Warblers were good at support. So he saw the smiles as he introduced Kurt around and knew it wasn’t just because there was fresh meat for teasing. He knew it wasn’t even because most of them remembered Kurt from the Christmas party and knew he could sing. His friends were happy for him because they knew what this meant. Blaine wasn’t just falling in love. He was also secure and healthy enough to feel like he could share himself with someone else, like he could take on another person’s problems and the daily stress of sharing his life.

So Blaine was proud tonight. Proud to introduce his amazing boyfriend, proud to share Kurt’s singing with everyone, and most of all, proud to have made it through to this point. He was alive, he was working, he was helping his friends and enjoying his boyfriend, and he was looking forward to what was ahead. Blaine felt amazing. 

He wanted to sing.

Across the room, he saw Kurt talking to Thad, and he couldn’t wait any longer. He walked directly to Kurt, looked him in the eye, and pulled him by the tie into a kiss. Kurt laughed into it, surprised but enjoying it. 

“This is for you,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. Then, louder, he addressed the room. “Warblers, assemble! I need backup.”

The many Warblers in the room cheered and made comments about what a dork Blaine was, but they all gathered on the temporary stage to wait for his instructions. When he told them what he wanted to sing, they all remembered what a hit it had been, and they lined up in two rows just like the old days to begin the dum dum dums that started the song, shuffling a bit as they reminded each other of the choreography.

It was the second part of the verse that made Blaine want to sing for Kurt:

_Before you met me, I was all right_  
But things were kind of heavy, you brought me to life.  
Now every February, you’ll be my Valentine, Valentine. 

Blaine sang and looked out at the crowd of his friends dancing, and Kurt dancing too, his eyes shining back as he heard the message behind the song. (And maybe the other message--Blaine certainly wouldn’t regret it if they went all the way tonight.)

Kurt couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t used to romantic gestures, though he realized now he’d always longed for them. Adam had sung to him plenty of times, but always to make him laugh. Adam’s Apples wasn’t a serious group: they were about embracing difference and singing for fun; a break from the hard work they all did at NYADA and a chance to remind themselves why they loved singing and performance. 

But here was Blaine, singing a ridiculous Katy Perry song, to be sure, but singing it with his feelings laid bare for everyone to see. Blaine wanted everyone in that room to know that Kurt was his boyfriend and Kurt felt treasured. He felt thanked for his presence in Blaine’s life. 

When the song was done, Kurt ran onto the stage and thanked Blaine with a hug and kiss, in front of everyone. As the Warblers started to return to their drinks and dates, Kurt put his hand on Blaine’s arm. 

“Stay?” he asked. “I want to sing with you now.”

Blaine couldn’t refuse him. Didn’t want to refuse him. “What do you want to sing?” he asked.

Kurt told him and they set up the karaoke machine. The opening organ music started and a few people recognized the song and cheered or got ready to dance. 

Blaine had never thought of “American Boy” as a romantic song. It was essentially about partying, a casual fling that turns into a bit of traveling. But something about Kurt asking him to be his American Boy made Blaine’s heart flutter. Maybe it was because they could sing to each other, whereas Estelle’s version of the song only went one way. Blaine wasn’t sure why, but he was sure that singing this song with Kurt was one of the most fun things he’d ever done, and he wanted to sing with Kurt as often as he possibly could.

Nick watched them from the side of the room where he’d been monitoring the karaoke equipment. From the moment they put their heads close together to discuss what they’d sing, Nick was moved by the way Kurt and Blaine looked together. He’d never seen his friend so comfortable with anyone. It was a pleasure to see them smile at each other, but it was also sweet so see them learning one another. Each day, Kurt and Blaine seemed more in sync, more aware of each other’s needs and expectations. They were starting to respond in unison, and the way they were reading one another’s cues to sing this song so beautifully, while clearly delighting in each other’s talents, gave Nick hope for Blaine’s future.

Then suddenly a very drunk Jeff was in front of Nick, shouting, “Damn right, this is my American Boy, and we’re Americans, and we have rights, and we’re going to get married in Washington, DC! I love this man. I. Love. This. Man.” And before Nick knew it, he was being dragged out of the restaurant by his fiance to enjoy the rest of the evening at home. He saw Wes standing near the door and tossed him his keys. Wes caught them and nodded back, smiling, so Nick decided to enjoy Jeff’s current mood and let Wes and Blaine take care of the restaurant. 

When the party ended, Wes said he’d stay to lock up, and Kurt and Blaine set out together hand in hand. Their kiss at midnight had been magical, it was a beautiful crisp winter night, and they were just happy to be together. 

“It feels weird,” Kurt said.

“What does?” Blaine asked.

“Things are so good and so awful at the same time. I turn on the news and I’m terrified that we’ll lose our rights and there’s going to be a wall and nobody will have access to health care. And then you take my hand, or I look into your eyes,” Kurt turned and looked at Blaine, stopping their progress toward home. “And everything is perfect.”

They smiled at each other stupidly for a while until Kurt shivered. Blaine put his arm around Kurt, pulling him close, and they continued walking toward Kurt’s place.

“I think the important thing,” Blaine mused. “Is that nothing gets between us. We need to work to make the world better and to make sure we don’t lose the rights we’ve won. We’ll go to DC and celebrate with Nick and Jeff and fight back with a million angry women. We’ll help your dad fight in Congress. We won’t let the world go to hell. But let’s also take time every day just to be happy in our own little world. Right here,” Blaine gestured between the two of them, “everything is good. And that’s real, even if the world is burning.”

Kurt smiled and kissed Blaine on the cheek. 

“So you’ll be my American Boy?”

“Actually, that reminds me,” Blaine said. “I never gave you your Christmas present. I was waiting for the perfect moment, and now it’s next year already.”

“Did you get me an Estelle CD?” Kurt wondered, trying to follow Blaine’s train of thought.

“Better, I hope,” Blaine said, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to Kurt. “I’m going to take you to Broadway.”

Kurt opened the envelope. “Oh, Blaine! _Hello Dolly_!? How did you get these?”

“I have my ways,” Blaine smiled. “Anyway, I thought you’d like it, because it’s got--” 

“Bette Midler!” they finished together. Kurt was beaming, and Blaine felt like he’d won the lottery. 

“I can’t wait,” Kurt said. “Thank you so much.” He kissed Blaine again, and then they walked home together arm in arm. Blaine thought it might be a pretty good year, despite the election results. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel has news that changes things for Kurt. Then there is shopping to do.

On Monday morning, Blaine got up in time to have breakfast at Niff and open up the barber shop. His apprentice, Joseph, would be taking care of most of the haircuts as he always did on Mondays, but Blaine liked to be there for at least part of the day. It allowed him to take care of mail and bills and spend some time observing Joseph’s work.

Kurt kissed Blaine goodbye and took a shower, then got dressed and ready to start the day. Wes had gone over to Niff where he’d find a corner to do his work until Nick and Jeff were done for the day and they could all work on wedding planning.

Just as Kurt picked up his phone, it beeped with a text from Rachel.

**From Rachel:** _Call me as soon as you get this._

Kurt walked to the kitchen and put on some coffee. It was entirely possible that Rachel was being overly dramatic, and their conversation would be over in a few minutes. But there was a good chance that a) Rachel had something legitimately exciting to talk about, or b) she was so worked up that the conversation would take a long time even though it wasn’t actually important. In either of those cases, Kurt would need coffee.

Once he had the machine going, he called Rachel.

“Kurt!” Rachel exclaimed, by way of greeting. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you yesterday. I was recovering from New Year’s Eve.”

“It’s okay, Rachel,” Kurt replied. “Happy New Year!”

“No time for that,” Rachel said. “I have news. I went to a New Year’s Eve party with Jesse and some of his friends, and Jack O’Brien was there.”

“Wow,” Kurt said.

“I know, right?” Rachel preened. “But that’s not all. He’s still casting for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!”

“With Christian Borle?” Kurt asked. Of course he was aware of the production. They already had the marquee up on 46th Street, though the show wouldn’t start previews until the end of March.

“Yes!” Rachel almost screeched. “And they’re casting adults in the supporting roles. So I told him my friend would be the perfect Mike Teavee. And he’s saving you an invited slot at the open audition on Wednesday!”

“He’s what?” Now Kurt was screeching. Why did his voice always get so high when he was excited?

“You need to prepare a song. I was thinking you could do ‘Pure Imagination.’ You sang it so beautifully at Sue’s sister’s funeral.”

“I could,” Kurt said thoughtfully. “But that’s a Willy Wonka song. And they aren’t doing the music from the movie, are they?”

“I don’t think so,” Rachel agreed. “You need something youthful and energetic. Oh! You could do ‘I’m the Greatest Star!’”

“Because that worked so well the last time I auditioned with it,” Kurt replied sourly.

“That was for Tony,” Rachel argued. “This is to play a child. It shows your range and enthusiasm.”

“I don’t know, Rachel,” Kurt was still thinking. “What about ‘Being Alive’? That’s a winner.”

“Are you crazy, Kurt Hummel? That is completely the wrong tone for Mike Teavee. Is there a good Beatles song?”

“They’re all good,” Kurt retorted.

“You know what I meant,” Rachel was rolling her eyes. Kurt could tell.

“Madonna?” he suggested.

“You do cover Madonna brilliantly,” Rachel agreed. “But don’t you think she’s a bit raunchy for this show?”

“I don’t know, she worked for Peter Pan,” Kurt argued.

“‘Lucky Star’?” Rachel thought it over. “I’ve got it, Kurt.”

“You do?”

“Yes. The perfect song.”

“What is it?”

“‘Popular.’”

They both took a moment to absorb this idea.

“‘Popular,’” Kurt repeated. “It could work.”

“Perfect for your range, cute but not too cute, innocent but not too innocent.”

“It could work,” Kurt said again.

Their conversation turned to what Kurt would wear, and the coffee kept warm in the coffee pot, forgotten on the counter.

*******************

At lunch time, Kurt went over to Niff to meet Blaine and their friends. As Kurt walked in the door, bursting to tell his news to his friends, Trent came running up to him. 

“So,” Trent began immediately. “I figure we should go into the City on Wednesday to source some fabric for the ties. Do you think we should go to Mood? Or is there someplace you like better? I kinda want to meet Swatch the dog, though. So maybe we can at least stop by Mood?”

“Trent!” Kurt interrupted. “Calm down. We’ll work it out.”

“Right, I’m calm,” Trent replied, taking some breaths. “Sorry.”

“I actually have an audition on Wednesday,” Kurt said. “But it’s on 29th Street, so maybe you can meet me there and we’ll go shopping after. I’m not sure when I’ll be done, exactly. Do you mind heading into the City around noon, and I’ll text you when I’m free? We can get lunch somewhere and then hit Mood and a couple of other places I like.”

“That sounds like fun,” Trent enthused.

“Excuse me,” Blaine walked up to them. He gave Kurt a quick kiss hello, and then said, “Did you say audition?”

“Yes!” Kurt exclaimed, his focus back on what was important. “Rachel called right after you left this morning. She got me on the invited audition list for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!”

“Kurt! That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you.”

“Well, I didn’t do anything yet,” Kurt admitted. “Just had a friend who’s in a Broadway show and meets important people at parties.”

“You’ll be incredible,” Blaine said. “How could anyone not love you?”

Kurt looked at Blaine for an instant, and decided to assume Blaine was just a fan of his singing. 

“I’m not sure I can play a kid,” Kurt said.

“It’s for one of the kids?” Blaine was still getting right to the point. “Which one?”

“Mike Teavee,” Kurt replied. “At least, that’s what Rachel recommended me for. I imagine it’s a general audition, probably for chorus and whatever small parts they haven’t cast yet.”

“Well, any of that would be great, right?” Trent asked. “I mean, you said you haven’t been getting work, so something is better than nothing. A step in the right direction, and a chance to go to Rachel’s fancy parties and meet more people.”

“Yeah,” Kurt agreed. “That’s true. It’s a big opportunity, no question. We should order, though, before Nick and Jeff are too busy to cook us anything.”

Blaine gave Kurt a look. Something was off. Kurt should be completely excited about this opportunity, but Blaine had a suspicion that he wasn’t somehow. He decided to let Kurt change the subject for now, but he made a mental note to bring this up soon when they were alone. Blaine knew from experience what could happen when a person ignored those little feelings that something wasn’t quite right, and he wouldn’t let that happen to Kurt. 

They ordered, and then Trent took charge of the conversation again.

“So, you make ties out of silk, right?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Kurt replied. “Twill or brocade, or some shops just call it necktie fabric. The challenge here is finding a fabric that will be rainbow enough for Jeff without being tacky.”

“I don’t know,” Trent argued. “I think Jeff likes tacky.”

“Everything I make is the epitome of taste,” Kurt replied coldly. 

“I’m sure you’ll find something perfect,” Blaine said quickly. “After all, if there’s anyone who can make a fashion miracle happen, it’s you, Kurt.” He smiled reassuringly and rubbed his hand soothingly on Kurt’s thigh under the table. 

“That’s true,” Kurt agreed. “Come on, Trent. After lunch, we’ll go back to my place and make a shopping plan. Mood is probably a good place to start but we need to map out our route if we’re going to hit all the stores we need in only an afternoon.”

Blaine smiled to himself. Shopping Kurt was a little bit scary, but boy could he get things done. He had absolutely no doubt that Nick and Jeff would be the best-dressed men ever to get married at a protest march. 

***********************  
Kurt sent Trent a text and then found a bathroom where he could change and fix his hair. No way was he going to Mood in his dance gear. What if Tim Gunn was there?! Once he was dressed, he walked over to the cafe where he was meeting Trent, thinking about ties.

Balancing what Jeff wanted with Kurt’s sense of style was not going to be easy. Kurt understood, in theory, that people wear flashy, noticeable things to protests in order to make a point. He had even admired a t-shirt he’d seen recently. It said “Mount Nasty” and had an image of Hillary Clinton, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Elizabeth Warren, and Michele Obama in place of the Presidents on Mount Rushmore. But he’d never wear a t-shirt in public, especially to a wedding. He could get behind the pussy hats because he could make his own, and it would be flawless, but one had to draw a line somewhere. And for a wedding, Kurt Hummel drew the line at a shirt and tie.

So Nick and Jeff’s ties would not be tacky. But they had to be rainbow. Kurt and Trent scoured Mood and Kurt’s other favorite fabric outlets for the perfect fabric. They collected a few swatches, but nothing was right. 

“Maybe complementary patterns?” Trent suggested. “Could you somehow compose a rainbow from both ties without overdoing it on either one?”

“It’s a thought,” Kurt murmured, sorting through bolts of fabric in yet another store. There were so many things to think about. Color, of course, but also silk content, quality, the weight of the fabric. If a tie was too light, it wouldn’t sit right, and it would never dimple. And Kurt was starting to think he’d make Nick a bow tie, which meant the fabric would have to be flexible enough to tolerate a full knot in addition to the full-Windsor Jeff would be wearing on the day of the wedding, if Kurt had to tie it himself. At least he was dealing with prep-school boys. He shuddered to think what some of his own classmates from McKinley would wear to their weddings, then he returned his thoughts to the tie problem.

As Kurt and Trent continued to rummage through bolts of fabric, muttering frustrated comments to each other, a saleswoman approached them. 

“Can I help you find something today?” she asked brightly.

“Do you have a magical loom in the back that creates impossible dream fabric?” Kurt grumbled.

“Um,” the saleswoman began.

“I’m sorry,” Kurt said, realizing his tone was inappropriate. “I’m trying to solve a difficult problem and I’m frustrated, but it’s not your fault.”

“Well, maybe I can help,” she offered.

“Our tacky loud friend wants Kurt to make rainbow ties for his gay wedding, and Kurt is too classy to make anything tacky,” Trent jumped in. “Do you have any classy rainbow tie silk?”

The saleswoman blinked a few times.

“Forgive my energetic friend,” Kurt laughed. “He’s not wrong, but he gets excited.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I was just trying to process. I think I’ve got something that might work over here.” She started walking to another section of the store, and Trent followed along like a happy puppy. Kurt followed more slowly, wondering why they were moving away from silks.

“I just remember seeing something in this corner that might work for you,” the saleswoman said musingly, running her hand along the bolts of fabric. Finally, she pulled down a bolt.

Kurt immediately put a hand on it. “Too coarse. That’s upholstery fabric!” He scorned. 

“Yeah, sorry,” the saleswoman conceded. “But I like the subtlety of the rainbow effect. Almost thread by thread.”

Kurt turned on his heel and walked out of the store, Trent hurrying to keep up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a picture of Chris Colfer modeling the t-shirt Kurt admired: https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17022173_678702052316771_5773526984220452828_n.jpg?oh=ae6dc0954416eeef33635f1b2b63ea08&oe=598B95B9


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So many Warblers!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I got you some snarky Jeff to make up for it. 
> 
> Thanks to Bowtiesandboatshoes.

When Kurt and Trent got back to Hackensack, they found Nick and Jeff’s apartment full of Warblers in full council mode. Wes had his gavel out and was asking for updates from everyone on their progress with wedding plans. 

“Ah!” Wes exclaimed as he saw Kurt and Trent entering the apartment. “The Costume Committee has arrived. Will you give us your update, please, gentlemen?”

“We were up to, what? Seven pussy hats?” Kurt asked, looking at Blaine.

“Seven done,” Blaine agreed. “I’m about halfway through another one.”

“Trent and I ran into a bit of a snag sourcing material for the ties,” Kurt went on. “But I think I might have a solution. Can I borrow your laptop, honey?”

Kurt plopped down on the couch beside Blaine and took over his computer. Then he was lost to the conversation for a while.

The others went on with their updates around him. Blaine had all the paperwork ready to file when they got to Washington. Thad had found a restaurant that would rent them a room to have dinner in after the march. Nick had found hotel rooms for the parents of the grooms and one for the wedding night (at a different hotel). Wes had contacted Warblers who lived in DC and would have couches and floor space available for everyone else, since it was impossible to find inexpensive hotel rooms anywhere in the city this close to the march.

Suddenly Kurt realized people were talking to him. He looked up from what he was working on to see Blaine looking at him expectantly.

“Sorry,” he said. “I was focused on the computer. What did you ask me?”

“You told me you had a place to stay,” Blaine repeated. “Is there room for anyone else where you’re staying in DC?”

“Oh!” Kurt exclaimed. “I’ll have to talk to my dad. There are three bedrooms in his apartment, but I don’t know if he has anyone else staying for the inauguration or the march. Though he was saying the other day that some of the Representatives are thinking about boycotting the inauguration, so I expect he’ll have a bed or two available. He probably won’t want a living room full of Warblers, though, since he’ll be working.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Wes agreed. “Could you reach out to him and confirm whether or not he is willing to accommodate guests, and if so, how many?”

“Um, sure,” Kurt replied, unsettled by Wes’s formal tone. 

“Excellent,” Wes replied. “Can we assume at a minimum that you and Blaine are accounted for?”

Kurt looked at Blaine uncertainly, then back at Wes. He wasn’t sure. His dad would probably be okay with Blaine staying over, at this point. After all, Kurt had long been an adult now, he’d been engaged, and Adam had shared his bed in Ohio when they’d visited. But how would Blaine feel about staying with Burt and Carole when he’d never met them before? They hadn’t discussed it, and he wasn’t even sure how Blaine felt about meeting his parents, never mind staying with them for a week while he was in the middle of arranging his best friends’ wedding during a huge protest march. But Wes was waiting for an answer.

“Uh, yeah,” Kurt stumbled. “I’m sure that will be fine.”

He looked at Blaine, trying to gauge his reaction, but Blaine was already chatting with Nick about something else. They’d talk about it later.

The discussion went on around him until he was done, and then he sat back, smiled, and relaxed. Blaine turned to him and smiled appraisingly.

“I haven’t seen you relax like that since you talked to Rachel on Sunday. What just changed?”

Kurt raised an eyebrow and turned his smile on Blaine.

“I just solved the tie problem,” Kurt replied. “This website will ship me fabric I designed myself. So no more hunting through fabric stores for the perfect thing. The ties will be perfect.”

He did a little shimmy in celebration. Blaine laughed, then leaned in for a kiss. “You’re hot when you’re solving problems,” he whispered. And once they started kissing, they didn’t want to stop.

“Hey!” Jeff yelled. “Blaine, are you going to share with the rest of the class?”

“Nope,” Blaine grinned. “I am, however, going to walk my boyfriend home. To his apartment. Where I happen to be staying.” Blaine jumped up and pulled Kurt to his feet. Kurt blushed, but followed. Kurt rather liked the way Blaine was thinking.

“Goodnight, Warblers,” Blaine said. “Goodnight, Jeff. I’ll leave you here. With your fiance. Whom you’re about to marry because you love him and don’t want to be with anyone else, ever.”

“Damn skippy,” Nick murmured, grabbing Jeff’s arm and pulling it around his shoulders. Jeff leaned in and kissed Nick. Suddenly Wes, Trent, and Thad found themselves between two couples who were making out, and quickly forgetting that they weren’t alone.

“So,” Wes said. “Trent, Thad...would you like to go for a walk? Maybe catch a movie? Generally be in neither of these apartments for the next hour or so?”

“Good idea, Wes,” Blaine said, hurrying Kurt out the door. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

Kurt and Blaine made their exit, followed a few minutes later by Wes, Trent, and Thad, who had decided to walk up to the movie theater in Teaneck to see what was playing.   
**********************  
It wasn’t until the next afternoon that Blaine realized that Kurt had talked about the ties all the way home. He’d never mentioned his audition once. Blaine thought about this as he cut hair and swept up the shop, and thought about it more as he walked over to Kurt’s apartment after work. 

He was still thinking about it as he walked out of the elevator, and he was so distracted that he almost ran smack into Kurt’s neighbor Irene.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” he said.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Irene replied. “You don’t look fine, though, Kurt’s Barber. What’s got you so worried?”

Blaine scrubbed his hand across his hair and sighed. “It’s nothing, really.”

“Well, you don’t have to tell me,” Irene said. “But I’ve missed the elevator now, so you might as well keep me company until it comes back.”

“Okay,” Blaine agreed. “It’s Kurt.”

Irene looked concerned.

“Oh, no!” Blaine reassured her. “He’s fine. At least, I think he is. It’s just, he had a big audition yesterday, and when he came back, he didn’t mention it. Not at all. And now I’m not sure if I should bring it up or not.”

“Well,” Irene said thoughtfully. “Why do you think he didn’t mention it?”

“That’s the thing,” Blaine said. “I can’t be sure. He was really excited about something else. So maybe it just didn’t come up?”

“Or…” Irene prompted.

“Or maybe it was terrible and he just wants to forget about it?” Blaine supposed.

“Could be,” Irene agreed.

Blaine’s eyes went wide. “Or maybe he’s waiting for me to ask about it and he feels like I’m the most neglectful boyfriend ever!”

“I suppose that’s possible,” Irene said cautiously. She was about to go on, but Blaine interrupted her.

“Thank you, Irene,” he said. “I have to go talk to Kurt. See you soon.” And with that, he went straight to Kurt’s door and let himself into the apartment. Irene was surprised, but she had things to do. She got into the elevator. 

Kurt looked up from his knitting when Blaine rushed in. “Guess what? I’ve almost finished my third pussyhat for today. My fingers are sore and we have no dinner, but progress has been made!”

 

“I’ll finish mine after dinner,” Blaine said. “Then we’ll have eleven, right?” 

Kurt nodded in agreement. “Eleven here. But I taught Trent how to make them and he’s going to teach the guys at the other apartment. So hopefully we’ll have another five by the end of tomorrow. Then if we make another two each, we’ll be done. Which is good, because once the fabric arrives, I’m going to have to move on to ties.”

“Okay,” Blaine said. “How about I cook dinner while you finish that up?”

“Sounds good,” Kurt agreed. “Then you can finish up your hat while I call my dad.”

Blaine walked into the kitchen to see what there was to cook, and his brain started spinning. Why was Kurt calling his dad? Why was Kurt still talking about ties and hats and not auditions? Was Kurt angry that Blaine hadn’t asked him about the audition yet? Maybe they could talk about it at dinner.

Just then, the door opened and Wes walked in. Blaine’s heart sank. He didn’t want to start an awkward conversation with Kurt in front of Wes. If Kurt was angry, it would be better to wait and ask him about this when they were alone. He’d just have to focus on dinner and talk to Kurt about it some other time. And hope that if Kurt was angry, he didn’t make it worse in the meantime.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone heads to Washington to get ready for the wedding, and Blaine gets to meet Burt and Carole. [dun dun DUN!]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've slowed down. I'm trying to make it right. Not sure I nailed it.
> 
> I will not leave this work unfinished, I promise. However, I make no promises about a third and fourth work for the quartet.

Between work at the barbershop and wedding preparations, Blaine didn’t find a time to talk to Kurt. Time went by, pussyhats were made, and the fabric Kurt had designed finally arrived. The rainbow pattern was subtle, woven into the warp and weft of the silk itself. The result was a shimmering, beautiful cloth that evoked all the colors of the rainbow without looking like a seven-year-old’s sticker album. Worn with a dark suit or one that matched any of the threads used in the ties, the fabric would pop, making a statement, but with understated class. Kurt was delighted with it and set about making the wedding ties right away. 

Before long, they were on a train to Washington, surrounded by Warblers. Burt and Carole had agreed to let Kurt, Blaine, Nick, and Jeff stay with them for the week. Nick and Jeff would be moving to a hotel for the night before and the night after the wedding, but until then, the Hudmel apartment would serve as home base for wedding planning. 

When they arrived in DC, the four of them hopped in a cab and made their way to Burt and Carole’s house. As they approached the door, Blaine found himself getting nervous. He thought it was strange. He wasn’t usually nervous meeting parents. Like Rebecca Bunch, he “gave good parent.” Blaine was polite, neat, respectful--all the things a parent looked for. The only times parents didn’t like Blaine was if they were homophobic or if they were judgmental because he didn’t finish college or work in a profession. But neither of those applied to Burt Hummel, the owner of a tire shop who now fought for gay rights in Congress. 

But Blaine really wanted Burt to like him. And things had been weird with Kurt lately--what if Burt or Carole noticed? Or what if they were uncomfortable that he had moved into Kurt’s apartment so soon? He hadn’t really. Once they got back from DC he’d go back to his own apartment. Wouldn’t he? Actually, he and Kurt hadn’t talked about it. What if Kurt was expecting him to stay on when they got back? Or worse, what if Kurt didn’t want him to stay?

Just as Blaine turned to say something to Kurt, the door opened and Kurt was swept into a hug by a middle-aged woman. 

“Come on in, boys!” Carole exclaimed. “We’re so glad you’re here. Which of you are the lucky grooms?”

Kurt was about to make introductions when the Congressman himself walked into the room and grabbed him into another bear hug. Blaine decided to take over.

“How do you do, Mrs. Hummel?” He said. “I’m Blaine, and these two guys are the grooms: Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling.” 

They all shook Carole’s hand like good Dalton men. 

“Come on,” said Kurt. “I’ll show you all where the guest rooms are.” 

Blaine followed politely, rolling his suitcase into the room Kurt showed him, then waiting while Kurt brought Nick and Jeff to the other guest room. In a minute, Kurt came back with his own suitcase and looked at Blaine questioningly.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“I was just waiting for you,” Blaine explained.

Kurt laughed. “You can go out to the living room alone, Blaine. My parents don’t bite.”

Blaine smiled, like he knew he was supposed to. “I think I’ll just freshen up first if you don’t mind,” he replied, looking around for the bathroom.

“Oh, sure!” Kurt remembered his manners. “We’re sharing the bathroom next door with Nick and Jeff. If one of them is in there, there’s a powder room off the front hall.”

Blaine was looking for his toiletry bag when he felt Kurt’s hand on his arm and he looked up.

“Blaine, they’re going to love you,” Kurt said softly.

Blaine turned to face Kurt and took a step forward. Kurt’s arms slid comfortingly around his shoulders. 

“It’s going to be a great week and a--very special wedding,” Kurt reminded him, chuckling a little at some of Nick and Jeff’s unorthodox wedding choices. “All of your friends will be here and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Blaine accepted the chaste kiss Kurt gave him before turning to walk back to the living room. He appreciated the way Kurt kept ahold of his hand as they walked, and Kurt’s gentle hand on his back as he showed him to the bathroom. But once alone and looking at himself in the bathroom mirror, all he could think was,

 _Then what?_  
******************  
Kurt settled in on the living room couch to hear his dad’s stories of dealing with the new administration. Burt was getting all kinds of funds from pro-gay groups because of his long history of supporting equal rights for gay people. In light of the many anti-gay appointees, all of the activist groups were working hard to make sure their supporters in government would remain steadfast. 

Nick and Jeff came out and flopped on the couch beside Kurt, tired from the train trip and all the wedding preparations. Because they had lived in Ohio when Burt first ran for Congress, they knew who he was, and they were excited to talk to him about the work he was doing. But when Blaine joined them, Carole changed the subject.

“So,” she said. “Tell me about when you met. Was it an instant attraction?”

“Oh, yes,” Jeff answered, a dreamy look on his face as he gazed at Kurt. “But Nick got all mad and gave my lunch away, so I was glad when I found out Blaine liked him more.”

Nick smacked Jeff in the back of the head. “And Kurt is thankful every day that he isn’t stuck with you,” he said. 

“Nope,” Jeff agreed, grinning at Nick. “You’re stuck with me.”

“I am,” Nick sighed. “And now we’re going to tell the government about it. Which reminds me, we should go meet Wes and see about registering him as an officiant.”

With that, Nick and Jeff made their excuses and left. When they were gone, Burt turned to Blaine.

“So, you stole the guy your best friend was crushing on?” he said.

Blaine looked at Burt appraisingly. It was possible that Burt was worried about Blaine’s ethics. It was also possible he was teasing. Blaine would have to nail this moment if he were to stand a chance of staying with Kurt long-term. Kurt’s dad was important, and Blaine’s charm was his strength. Pushing aside his anxieties about Kurt, he took his chance.

“Absolutely, sir. Nick and Jeff are my best friends. Their relationship needed saving, and I stepped in and did what needed to be done.”

Kurt’s chin dropped. Burt raised an eyebrow.

“You sure you like this guy, Kurt?” he asked.

There was a pause, and then Blaine grinned. “The fact that he’s completely amazing and I couldn’t keep my eyes off him from the moment he nearly crashed into me in the doorway of Niff has absolutely nothing to do with it.”

Kurt punched Blaine in the arm while Blaine and Burt dissolved into laughter. 

“I look forward to getting to know you, Blaine,” Burt said. “Kurt needs someone to keep him on his toes.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, then grabbed Carole and went to the kitchen to get drinks.

“So, Blaine,” Burt said, making himself comfortable in his favorite chair. “Tell me about running a small business in New Jersey. My favorite part of owning the tire shop was getting to know the regulars. You got any interesting regulars?”

As he began chatting about his favorite customers, Blaine found himself relaxing into the comfort of the Hummel-Hudson home. Kurt and Carole returned with the drinks, the conversation flowed and Blaine could feel that Burt and Carole were happy to have Kurt home with them. He began to look forward to future visits, as Kurt sat beside him suggesting good stories he could tell, or bringing up memories from Ohio that they could all relate to. 

And he started to feel a glimmer of hope that this could be part of his future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Bowtiesandboatshoes! Couldn't do it without you.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end. There is 8-part harmony, and a wedding, and some other stuff you've been hoping for, if I've done my job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of Close Harmony. I hope you've enjoyed it. Thanks to BowtiesandBoatShoes! And to all the readers.

Kurt put on his pajamas and then went to his closet to double-check that the wedding clothes were all accounted for and hanging properly so that any wrinkles they had acquired on the journey would hang out before Saturday. When he heard the door open and close, he expected Blaine to say something, but he didn’t. Kurt turned then, and saw Blaine sitting on the edge of the bed, his toiletry bag stowed already, his hands clasped tightly in his lap, and his gaze fixed on the wall opposite. Kurt walked over and sat beside him.

“What’s going on?” Kurt asked, rubbing his hand soothingly across Blaine’s back.

“Kurt,” Blaine began, and then stopped. A few times he took a breath as though he were going to start speaking, but then he didn’t.

Kurt waited, getting more nervous as the seconds ticked by. Was something wrong that he didn’t know about? Blaine had clearly been nervous, but Kurt thought it was about meeting Burt and Carole. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

Finally, Blaine spoke. “I never asked how your audition went,” he said. Kurt had a feeling that wasn’t where Blaine had intended to begin, but it was a question, so he answered it.

“It went well,” he said. “Actually, I have a callback next week. They want me to sing some rock. I was thinking I might do an arrangement of ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love.’ I did that once with a stripper pole. Probably not right for Mike Teavee though.”

Blaine found himself distracted for a moment by the images his mind suddenly conjured, but eventually he swallowed and said, “Good. That’s good. A callback is good.”

“It is,” Kurt agreed. “I think I’ll download the cast recording from the London production when we get home. They don’t want songs from the show, but it will give me an idea.”  
“Yeah, um. About that,” Blaine blurted.

“About what?”

“Home,” Blaine said. “About when we go home.”

“What about it?”

“When we go home,” Blaine said carefully. “Where will I be sleeping?”

Kurt looked thoughtful. “Well, I hadn’t really thought about it,” he began. “Wherever you like, I suppose.”

“It’s--I mean, we’ve only been together a short time, really, and--”

“Well, if you want to go back to your place, that’s fine,” Kurt said.

“Oh,” Blaine said. “So you--you want me to--go back. To Nick and Jeff’s place. And mine.”

“Sure. I mean, it’s much closer to your shop, and I’ve got to start emptying Bertie’s place if I’m going to sell it any time soon. Once the wedding is over and all the extra Warblers go home, I can start sorting the furniture and everything.”

“Right, so you can move back to New York,” Blaine agreed sadly.

“Maybe,” Kurt said, tilting his head to look at Blaine. “But I thought you’d rather stay close to the shop, and Nick and Jeff.”

Blaine looked up suddenly. “Me?”

“Well, yeah,” Kurt said. “I mean, we haven’t talked about it, but it seems like staying in Hackensack is important to you. Or at least, nearby. Isn’t it?”

“It is,” Blaine said carefully. “Are you saying that I’m a factor? That you still want to--I mean, when you said I should go back to my place, what did you mean, exactly?”

“Well,” Kurt said thoughtfully. “I figured we’d spend most nights there, since it’s easy for you and my place will be a mess soon. Unless it gets awkward with Nick and Jeff being newlyweds. Do you think they’ll want more nights alone? Well, if they do, we can just stay at my place. I’ll just make sure the bedroom stays habitable.”

“Us, together?” Blaine said, his voice hopeful.

“Blaine, is something going on?” Kurt asked. “I mean, before you came to stay at my place, we spent most nights together, at your place or mine. It’s not a requirement, but I thought we both liked things that way. Didn’t we?”

“Yeah,” Blaine said, turning to put his forehead against Kurt’s, his hand against Kurt’s neck, holding him close. “We did.” Blaine kissed Kurt then. “We do.” He kissed Kurt again, deepening it a bit for emphasis, his hand moving up to Kurt’s cheek. When he pulled back, he kept his hand there and looked into Kurt’s eyes. “But I want...more.”

Kurt’s eyes widened, and he started to straighten. Blaine hastened to explain himself, letting his arms come around Kurt’s shoulders to keep him close.

“I mean, not right now, exactly. I just, I’ve been worried. This has been really good, between us, and I wasn’t sure you felt the same way. It’s important to me. You’re important to me, I’m just coming to realize how much.”

“It’s important to me, too,” Kurt murmured. “I want it to keep growing. Is that what you mean?”

“Yes,” Blaine said hesitantly. “But also I think--You’re just so amazing, Kurt. Your family is amazing too. The way you face the world and the way you took care of so many parts of the wedding. The ties you made are beautiful and who else could have made them? They’re so Nick and Jeff but also so you.”

“And,” he continued, taking a breath. “I love you, Kurt.”

Kurt took a deep breath of surprise, straightening a little. But then he relaxed back into Blaine’s embrace, sliding his hands slowly up Blaine’s sides to come around his shoulders as he smiled into Blaine’s eyes.

“I love you, too.”

It’s possible that Kurt and Blaine didn’t get as much sleep that night as they had planned to.

************************  
Saturday dawned bright, sunny, and unseasonably warm for January. Kurt had carefully pressed Nick and Jeff’s wedding suits and brought them over to the hotel the night before, but everyone else came to Burt and Carole’s apartment to get dressed for the wedding under Kurt’s careful supervision.

So it was an odd-looking group that set out for the Mall in jackets, ties, and pussyhats. Each of them wore a rainbow lapel ribbon, and they carried signs advocating women’s rights and marriage equality. 

They arrived at the Capitol and couldn’t believe the number of people. It was early, but thousands of people were already there, with streams arriving from all directions. Pussyhats abounded and the main gathering area where the march would begin looked like a rapidly growing lake of pink hats as more and more protesters joined the throng.

Once all the expected wedding guests had gathered, Wes signaled to the assembled Warblers, and they began to hum “Going to the Chapel” (in eight-part harmony, of course. Wes didn’t do arrangements half-way.) They walked in a line toward an empty patch of grass on the Mall and formed a circle with Nick and Jeff on opposite sides, flanked by their parents.

As they hummed their processional, they attracted attention, and people gathered around to see what was happening. A few took out cameras and started filming, and there were a couple of people nearby with fancy cameras who also took notice.

When the song ended, Wes stepped into the middle of the circle, and invited Nick and Jeff to join him. Jeff’s mom started to sniffle, and Kurt felt his own eyes welling up.

“Nick and Jeff have been a couple for a long time, and best friends for longer than that. I doubt that anyone standing in this circle has ever doubted that their love is the kind that will last a lifetime.”

There were smiles and murmurs of assent from around the circle.

“Today we are here to legally affirm that relationship, bringing Nick and Jeff into an agreement that they will take care of each other as family for the rest of their lives. While they have already committed to running a business together and they own an apartment together, this ceremony announces to the world that they are truly forming a new family, one that will, thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision a year and a half ago, give them all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of next of kin.”

“Do you both come here of your own free will today?”

“We do.” 

Nick’s eyes shone as he took Jeff’s hands and repeated the words Wes was saying.

“I, Nicholas Duval, take you, Jeffrey Sterling to be my lawfully wedded husband, to honor and cherish for the rest of our lives for better or worse, in richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.”

Nick slipped a simple gold band onto Jeff’s finger.

Jeff blushed, looked down at the ring, and then took his own turn.

“I, Jeffrey Sterling, take you, Nicholas Duval, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to honor and cherish for the rest of our lives for better or worse, in richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.” 

Jeff slipped a ring onto Nick’s finger. They both looked down at their clasped hands with their new rings, then up at each other, smiling into each other’s eyes. 

“I now pronounce you husbands under the laws of the District of Columbia and the United States of America. Now kiss each other, and let’s go fight for women’s rights!”

Nick and Jeff kissed and a cheer went up from around the circle that was echoed by the protesters who had gathered around. 

When they broke apart, Jeff shouted, “Fuck you, Donald!” 

Blaine and Kurt rushed forward and pinned “just married” signs to Nick and Jeff’s backs. They were printed on rainbow banners. Then everybody hugged the grooms and the group trooped off to join the larger march.

Kurt was rocking his Rosie the Riveter socks and somehow his pussyhat seemed more rakish and fashionable than the hundreds of pussyhats surrounding them. Although he knew he’d want a much more traditional wedding, he had to acknowledge that this one was perfect for Nick and Jeff, and they were bringing visibility to gay marriage as an issue. 

Nobody in the wedding party could believe the number of people who had turned out for the march. From time to time, one of them would climb onto something high and look around, reporting back that all they could see was a sea of pink pussyhats that flowed for blocks between buildings. They were energized by the solidarity they felt with those around them, and person after person noticed Nick and Jeff’s rainbow signs and came up to offer congratulations.

Reports came in over cell phones and from other marchers, informing them that marches were going on around the world, even in Antarctica. Around the world, people were making the point that progress would not be stopped. And the Niff wedding would always be a tiny part of that.

Towards the end of the march, a photographer bearing a press pass approached them and asked if she could take Nick and Jeff’s picture. They posed a few different ways--with their backs to the camera to show off their signs, kissing each other, and jumping in the air in celebration. The photographer told them she got a great shot and then disappeared into the crowd to get more pictures.

When they had tired of rallying, the whole wedding party trooped over to a restaurant where Kurt and Wes had planned a lovely dinner and celebration for the couple. They had a private room with a karaoke machine. The Warblers had fun tormenting one another by choosing songs they had sung in high school and forcing their friends to reprise favorite solos. Everyone laughed when Nick sang “Uptown Girl” to Jeff’s mom, and the drunken reprisal of “Raise Your Glass” had everyone dancing and singing along with Blaine.

Eventually, Nick and Jeff went off to their hotel, the older generation went home too, and the younger ones were settling down, just playing the karaoke machine as background music. Kurt and Blaine were dancing close together, arms around each other. The alcohol was wearing off, and Kurt felt pleasantly tired, and happy in Blaine’s arms. He thought about their talk the night before, and looked forward to a future where their relationship grew, and their life grew together. Blaine spun them around and Kurt giggled, enjoying the playfulness. Then he realized what song was playing, and started to sing along.

Let’s go all the way tonight  
No regrets: just love.  
We can dance until we die  
You and I, will be young forever!

Blaine laughed and pulled back so he could look Kurt in the eye. “Things are going to be okay, aren’t they.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yeah, I think so,” Kurt replied. “We’re going to have to work for it, stay vigilant, fight for what’s important, but we’ll be okay.”

“I didn’t mean the country,” Blaine replied.

“Neither did I,” Kurt said with a smile.

They kissed then, and Blaine thought it was probably the best kiss in the history of the world.

He couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some thoughts about Part 3, but I'm super busy, so I don't know when it will happen. I do promise though that if I start it, I will finish it. I won't leave the boys hanging.

**Author's Note:**

> Voyagehk asked for the hot shave and Bowtiesandboatshoes asked for it to be hot. I hope I came through for you! Keep the suggestions coming and I'll do what I can.


End file.
